Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Lizetta felt a hit on the back of her head and stopped in her tracks. Whirling around, she crossed her arms and looked at Evelina.

“Don’t forget! It was you who invited me. You love comparisons and outshining others so much, I was just being kind, satisfying that whim of yours. Why are you fury? Is it because you are ugly, so that you are justified?” Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Evelina was fuming, ready to blow a gasket. She stormed up to Lizetta, raising hand to strike.

But Lizetta was quick on the draw. She firmly grabbed Evelina’s hand.

“Enough, Evelina!”

Evelina snorted with contempt. “So, what if you’ve attracted all the attention? Remi still danced with me, didn’t he? Lizetta, don’t you forget, without the Hawthorne family, without me, you’d be nothing but a street rat from the slums, with no chance of rubbing elbows with someone like Remi. Oh, and you showing up in that dress left by my grandma? Don’t you find yourself ridiculous? Is that your grandma or mine? Clearly, it’s mine!

Without my grandma’s nostalgic affections, would Fiona cherish you? Would the Dashiell family have taken you in? Without my granny, you’d be a big fat nothing!”

Evelina shouted with suppressed anger. Lizetta clenched her teeth, her body trembling slightly.

“If thinking that way

way makes you feel superior, then go right ahead,” Lizetta said coolly, shaking off Evelina’s grip.

Lizetta turned to leave again, but Evelina couldn’t stand her aloof and disdainful attitude.

What gave Lizetta the right?

Evelina grabbed Lizetta again, “You stole my life and became Mrs. Dashiell. I’m just asking you to give it back, what’s wrong with that? Remi never loved you; he’s always loved me!”

Evelina was like a madwoman, relentlessly pestering.

The night air was chilly, and Lizetta felt a cold shiver.

She flung Evelina away, “I already said, think whatever you want, but let go! Do you want everyone to come out and watch this farce?”

Evelina cooled down a bit upon hearing that.

Lizetta pulled her hand back and sighed in relief, but then Evelina spoke again.

“It’s not that I want to think this way, but that Remi truly loves me more, Lizetta, do you dare to verify that? Because I do!”

Lizetta was still puzzled by Evelina’s meaning when suddenly Evelina let out a yell and lunged toward her.

Lizetta stumbled, and with a couple of splashes, both women fell into the pool nearby.

Unprepared for the fall, Lizetta swallowed some water and felt a cramp in her call.

As she calmed herself intending to swim upward, she felt a weight around her waist – Evelina was clinging tightly to her in the water, dragging her down.

Lizetta had never imagined Evelina could go this crazy!

Holding her breath, she

in her chest grew scacked and pulled, but couldn’t shake Evelina off. Bubbles escaped her mouth as the air

This wouldn’t do. Lizetta clenched her fist and struck Evelina on the head.

That’s when Evelina let go.

14:15

Survival instinct made Lizetta kick Evelina away, swimming in the opposite direction, afraid of being entangled again. She didn’t see that, as Evelina sank, an agile figure was swimming towards them.

As Lizetta turned her head again due to a cramp in her calf, she saw Remington holding Evelina, swimming towards the light above the pool.

Lizetta felt a sharp pain in her chest, unable to determine if it was from severe lack of oxygen or something else.

Struggling to swim upward, her legs cramping, she panicked and swallowed water again.

Losing control, Lizetta sank deeper into the cold, dark depths.

The water was freezing, overwhelming.

With her eyes open, she could no longer see Remington or Evelina.

Left alone, she faced death in solitude.

Lizetta gave up the fight, tears rolling from the corners of her eyes as she closed them.

Brother, you promised to protect me, always.

You promised.

Remington emerged from the water with Evelina and was about to leave her,

But Evelina clung to him, crying out, “My child. Lizetta kicked my stomach, my child.”

Evelina had recently shown signs of a miscarriage, causing Remington to hesitate in his return to the pool.

He had seen it all.

With two more splashes, two more people jumped into the pool.

Lizetta was a great swimmer, she didn’t need saving and could have made it out on her own.

“Remington, what are you waiting for? Take Eve back, get the doctor, hurry!”

Elara urged anxiously, and Remington quickly carried Evelina away.

But he didn’t see that just behind him, Lizetta was being lifted from the water, her face deathly pale, silent and

still.